So the exams are done, you’ve got your results, and the whole world is your oyster.
But no matter how well results day goes, the question of ‘What’s next?!’ can feel like a daunting one, and the jump from education to the world of work often feels absolutely massive.
It’s why The Digital Youth Hub has been created – a completely free six-week course that will ease the transition, give you some seriously useful skills to move forward with, and put you to the front of interview queues.
Through workshops, masterclasses and skills sessions, you’ll learn how to create content, build a digital CV and find out about ways to access Greater Manchester’s booming creative jobs market.
You can get a taste for industries like marketing, photography, web development, social media management, copywriting, podcasting and discover the employment opportunities available for young people equipped with creative digital skills.
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Each member of The Digital Youth Hub will have access to one-to-one sessions with a talent manager too, to help plan their next career steps.
The scheme comes from SharpFutures and the DWP and has been created specifically for 18-24 year olds who live in Greater Manchester and aren’t in full-time work or studies.
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The Digital Youth Hub consists of 3 elements: a physical place (at leading digital hub The Sharp Project) to create content, a virtual space to learn and be inspired and an online platform to develop and explore digital skills as you’re learning.
The Sharp Project
The Sharp Project itself, in Newton Heath, is home to more than 60 digital entrepreneurs and production companies specialising in digital content production, digital media and TV and film production – one of which is SharpFutures.
Towards the end of the 6 weeks Digital Youth Hub members will be interviewed to join the SharpFutures POD scheme, which provides a talent pool of people who can be booked to assist on exciting projects with clients such as the BBC and Channel 4.
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The Digital Youth Hub states: “There are a huge amount of job opportunities out there for young people that can create content, do social media marketing and understand how businesses use digital so we’ve designed a programme to help develop these skills”
“Confidence in using programmes such as: Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Suite, Canva and Google Docs puts you to the front of the interview queue. With additional knowledge and skills in social media management and content creation or project planning and budgeting again increasing your likelihood of employability.
“The Digital Youth Hub aims to give young people these digital life skills that will not only help them gain employment but make them a much more valuable staff member. Many of these skills are easily transferable so if they do change career paths or even decide to be their own boss, they are already a few steps ahead.”
Morrisons set to close more than 100 brand locations across the country
Danny Jones
UK supermarket company Morrisons is set to close more than 100 specific locations across the UK, including multiple here in Greater Manchester.
Despite still being considered one of the giants of the sector here in Britain, Morrisons is continuing its previously announced ‘restructuring’ by adding a number of other shops to the chopping block.
The chain had already announced that a slate of 50 Morrisons Cafes would be closing earlier this year, but now other brand branches are expected to follow suit.
While their major supermarkets will remain virtually untouched, several Morrisons Daily convenience stores, florists, pharmacies and Market Kitchens, like the busy lunchtime corner store on Piccadilly Gardens – but don’t panic: that one is staying, as far as we’re aware.
Fortunately, major mainline Morrisons supermarket locations look to be safe from closing. (Credit: JThomas/Jaggery via Geograph)
Despite insisting the business is in good shape and has a “bright future” ahead, Morrisons‘ chief executive, Rami Baitieh, confirmed that “a minority [of sites] have specific local challenges and in those locations, regrettably, closure and re-allocation of the space is the only sensible option.”
It’s also believed that 35 butchers’ counters and the same number of fishmongers are set to wrap up as part of the shake-up.
You can see the full list of Morrisons Cafes closing down below; thankfully, we Mancs have managed to avoid closures in this particular department.
Morrisons Cafe Locations closing
Bradford Thornbury
Paisley Falside Road
London Queensbury
Portsmouth
Great Park
Banchory North, Deeside Road
Failsworth, Poplar Street
Blackburn, Railway Road
Leeds, Swinnow Road
London, Wood Green
Kirkham, Poulton Street
Lutterworth, Bitteswell Road
Stirchley
Leeds, Horsforth
London, Erith
Crowborough
Bellshill, John Street
Dumbarton, Glasgow Road
East Kilbride, Lindsayfield
East Kilbride, Stewartfield
Glasgow, Newlands
Largs, Irvine Road
Troon, Academy Street
Wishaw, Kirk Road
Newcastle, UT Cowgate
Northampton, Kettering Road
Bromsgrove, Buntsford Industrial Park
Solihull, Warwick Road
Brecon, Free Street
Caernarfon, North Road
Hadleigh
London, Harrow, Hatch End
High Wycombe, Temple End
Leighton Buzzard, Lake Street
London, Stratford
Sidcup, Westwood Lane
Welwyn, Garden City, Black Fan Road
Warminster, Weymouth Street
Oxted, Station Yard
Reigate, Bell Street
Borehamwood
Weybridge, Monument Hill
Bathgate
Erskine, Bridgewater Shopping Centre
Gorleston, Blackwell Road
Connah’s Quay
Mansfield, Woodhouse
Elland
Gloucester, Metz Way
Watford, Ascot Road
Littlehampton, Wick
Helensburgh
Sadly, it seems that plenty of people saw this coming, with early reports of the off-license/corner shop-esque Daily shops following soon after cafes were confirmed to be closing back in March.
Morrisons closing 52 cafes, 17 convenience stores, and potentially 365 people redundant
Just before new NI tax laws kick in from next month
Retail is 10% of total UK employment, a notoriously low margin business
This is where Greater Manchester comes in, as a handful of florists and Market Kitchens in the region are to join the wider collection of closures by the end of the year.
Featured Images — Rodhullandemu (via Wikimedia Commons)
Business
Pizza Hut releases list of 68 branches set to close – including several in Greater Manchester
Emily Sergeant
Pizza Hut has published its list of 68 restaurants that are set to close their doors, and includes several in Greater Manchester.
In case you missed the announcement earlier this week, Pizza Hut confirmed that it had entered into administration, and DC London Pie – the firm running the once-popular chain’s restaurants in the UK – had appointed administrators from corporate finance firm, FTI.
Since its start, Pizza Hut has always been known and loved for its family-friendly dining, particularly its popular pizza buffet, salad bar, and ice cream machine.
But business in the UK has been struggling for the chain for a while, and it had previously gone into administration less than a year ago, but that was when DC London Pie stepped in and saved the chain’s restaurants from insolvency.
Now though, some 1,210 people are due to be made redundant as 68 Pizza Hut restaurants close down.
Pizza Hut has released its list of 68 branches set to close their doors / Credit: Alan Hardman (via Unsplash)
Branches in Bolton, Tameside, Oldham, and Rochdale are among the locations in Greater Manchester set to close their doors, as well as several others in the North West like Liverpool, Preston, and Lancaster, and even major capital cities like Edinburgh and Cardiff.
11 delivery outlets are also set to close, which do not have indoor dining seating – however none of these are in Greater Manchester.
Luckily, a total of 64 branches have been saved as part of a rescue deal by American hospitality giant Yum! Brands, which owns the global Pizza Hut business.
Yum! Brands said it had bought the UK restaurant operation in a pre-pack administration deal, and the rescue has secured the future of 1,276 workers.
Full list of Pizza Hut locations set to close
Ashton-under-Lyne
Beckton
Bolton
Bournemouth
Bradford, Vicar Lane
Brighton, Marina
Bristol
Cardiff
Carlisle
Chatham
Clacton
Cortonwood
Crawley
Cribbs Causeway
Croydon
Dudley
Dundee
Durham City
Eastbourne
Edinburgh
Edinburgh, Fountain Park
Edinburgh, Kinnaird Park
Enfield
Falkirk
Feltham
Finchley, Lido
Great Yarmouth
Greenwich
Grimsby
Hartlepool
Hayes
Hereford
Huddersfield
Hull
Inverness
Kettering
Kidderminster
Lancaster
Leeds, Colton Mill
Leeds, Kirkstall Road
Leeds, White Rose
Liverpool
Llanelli
Lowestoft
Manchester Fort
Middlesbrough
Norwich
Oldham
Poole, Tower Park
Portsmouth
Preston
Reading Gate
Rhyl
Rochdale
Romford
Russell Square, London
Scunthorpe
Shrewsbury
Silverlink
Solihull
St Helens
Stratford-upon-Avon
Thanet
Truro
Urmston
Wellingborough
Wigan
Yeovil
A spokesperson for Pizza Hut UK said it was ‘pleased’ to secure the continuation of 64 sites to safeguard its guest experience and protect the associated jobs.
“Approximately 2,259 team members will transfer to the new Yum! equity business under UK TUPE legislation, including above-restaurant leaders and support teams,” the spokesperson said in a statement on Monday.
Nicolas Burquier, who is the Managing Director of Pizza Hut Europe and Canada, called Monday’s agreement a ‘targeted acquisition’, Sky News reports.
Daisy Jackson -
18th August 2022 
